Gopal raises $50k for Senate Democrats

State Sen. Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) raised over $50,000 for the Senate Democratic Majority PAC last night, a move that will help the freshman senator establish clout within his caucus.

The fundraiser, which mostly-tapped donors from Monmouth County, honored Senate President Steve Sweeney and State Sen. Joseph Lagana (D-Paramus). Lagana, appointed to fill a vacant Senate seat earlier this year, is running in a November special election.

Gopal was elected to the Senate last year, defeating three-term Republican incumbent Jennifer Beck. He is a former Monmouth County Democratic Chairman with a history of fundraising prowess.

Not long after taking office, Sweeney elevated Gopal to the vice chairmanship of the Senate Transportation Committee and the chairmanship of the Senate Manufacturing Caucus.